Rotary engine



M. H. MILLER ROTARY ENGINE Fi led March 28, 1927 2 Sh ets-Sheet 1 III!!! #192.

- 5 f I'A'lll 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M. H.v MILLER ROTARY ENGINE Filed March 28, 1927 Jan. 15, 1929.

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Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES MILTON HENRY MILLER, 01 STRATFORD, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Application filed March 28, 1927. Serial No. 179,160.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary engines, and the object of the invention is to provide a steam chamber of maximum length to conserve the steam so as to produce maximum work and maximum torque closely adj acent to the steam inlet, and in which the wear on the interior surface of the stator is reduced to a minimum, and it consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through my engine taken at right angles to the axes thereof.

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 showing the rotor rotated a half revolution and just prior to the change of position of the wing pistons.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the engine taken at right angles to the views shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional details of the operating cams and parts coacting therewith.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective detail of the stationary cam.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective detail of the movable cam. V

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

1 indicates the stator casing provided at one end with a permanent head 1 and at the opposite end with a removable head 1. The head 1 is provided centrally with a bearing boss 2 having a central orifice 2". The head 1 is provided with a bearing boss 3 provided with a central orifice 3".

4 is a rotor which is preferably in the form of a hollow cylinder providedwith a stationary head 4 and a removable head 4. The head 4 is provided with a central boss 5 having a central orifice 5 in central alignment with the orifice 3".

6 is an engineshaft passing freely through the orifice 3* into the orifice 5 of the rotor 4 in which it is suitably secured.

7 is a transverse web extending inward from the head 4 of the rotor 4 and provided with a central orifice? extending axially in central alignment with the orifice 2 of the stator 1. The web 7 is also provided with a diametric orifice 7 terminating at each end in a transverse recess 8.

9 is a sleeve bearing secured in the transverse orifice 7 at each side of the centre there of and 9 is an annular bearing piece slidable within the transverse orifice 7 at each side of and adjacent to the centre of the rotor.

10 and 11 are wing pistons operating within the transverse groove 8.

12 and 13 are piston rods secured at their outer ends to the wing pistons and extending freely through the bearing sleeve 9 and secured within the annular bearings 9 9 14 are compression springs extending between each annular bearing 9 and sleeve bearmg 9 and tending to force the wing pistons 10 inward towards the centre of the rotor.

15 is a stud secured in the orifice 2 by means of a set screw 15. The stud 15 is provided with a central orifice 15 extending axially therethrough.

16 is a cam provided with a central orifice 16 in alignment with the orifice 15 and secured to the inner end of the stud 15 by means of screws 17 or any other suitable means. The cam 16 is in the form of a disc provided at one point with a cam projection 16, the remaining portion of the cam being concentric to the centre.

18 is arocking rod extending through the orifice 15 and orifice 16 and held at one end. from rotation by means of a spring 19.

k The outer end of the spring 19 is provided with an eye through which a securing screw 19 passes into the shaft 18 or any other suitable s ecuring means may be employed.

20 1s a cam member secured to the rocking rod 18 at its inner end so as to rock therewith. The cam member 20 is in the form of a segment of a cylinder with the cord of the segment concaved as indicated at 21 and extending to the outside of the'central orifice 20 in which the rocking rod 18 is secured.

It will be noted on referring to Figures 1 and 2 that the inner ends of the piston rods 12 and 13 bear against the periphery of the cam member 20 so that they alternately engage with the concaved portion 21 and the diametrically opposite portion of the cam periphery.

The cam member 20 is'provided with a recess 22 in periphery forming a shoulder 23 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

Diametrically opposite to the recess 22 is a recess 24' which extends from one side of the cam to the other.

25 and 26 are spring pressed latch pins which bear against the periphery of. the cam 16 and project laterally beyond the periphery so as to alternately engage with the recess 22 to bear against the shoulder 23 or pass through the recess 24 as will hereinafter appear.

27 is a steam inlet which may be provided with a suitable controlling valve (not shown) and 28 is the steam outlet or exhaust.

It will be noted that the cylindrical rotor 1 is mounted within the stator 1 concentrically therewith and of slightly smaller diameter so as to form a steam space 29 extendingupwardly from the inlet port 27 to the exhaust port 28.

The lower peripheral portion of the intervening space between the stator and rotor between the ports 27 and 28 is provided with a filling piece 30 thereby limiting the length of the steam chamber.

Having described the principal parts involved in my invention I will briefly describe the operation of the same.

The steam is allowed to enter through the inlet port 27 so as to bear against the wing piston 11 in the position shownin Figure 1 causing the rotor to revolve practically a half revolution. During this movement the pin 25 is in engagement with the recess 22 shouldering it against the shoulder 23 causing the cam member 20 to also revolve, and at the same time turning the rocking shaft 18 to which it is secured and winding the spring 19 into tension.

As the piston 11 approaches the exhaust port 28 the latch pin 25 is brought into engagement with the cam projection 16 thereby forcing the latch pin 25 out of engagement with the recess 22 and thereby releasing the cam member 20 which is revolved by the spring 19 which has been wound into ten sion by the above turning movement of the cam member 20 so that when the cam member 20 is released it is revolved in the reverse direction thereby carrying the recessed portion 21 of the cam member 20 opposite to the inner end of the piston rod 13 so that it is freed to withdraw by the spring 1 L into a flush position with the periphery of the rotor allowing the exhaust of the steam chamber through the exhaust port 28, and at the same time forcing the piston rod 12 and wing piston 10 outward into the position previously occupied by the piston rod 13 and wing piston 11, this operation being repeated during each revolution.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a rotary engine, an outer cylindrical casing having closely adjacent peripheral inlet and exhaust ports, a rotor mounted within the casing concentrically therewith and spaced therefrom at its periphery, a filling piece fitting such interspace between the exhaust and inlet ports, a shaft secured centrally to the rotor and extending through the casing, a spring resisted turnable shaft axially mounted within the casing and rotor, a cam member secured to the inner end of the turnable shaft, wing pistons mounted in the rotor to move diametrically, means for en" gaging the rotor and cam as each wing piston travels from the inlet towards the exhaust port, means for releasing such engaging means as the piston approaches the exhaust port, and means operated by the turning of the cam for moving the wing pistons diametrically to carry one of such piston ends from an engaging position with the interior position of the casing to a flush position with the exterior periphery of the rotor and the other piston from a position flush with the periphery of the rotor into engagement with the inner periphery of the casing.

2. In a rotary engine, an outer cylindrical casing having closely adjacent peripheral inlet and exhaust ports, a rotor mounted within the casing concentricall therewith. and spaced therefrom at its periphery, a filling piece fitting such interspace between the exhaust and inlet ports, a shaft secured centrally to the rotor and extending through the casing, wing pistons mounted in the rotor to move diametrically a stem extending inwardly from each piston, a cam member turnable with the rotor and interposed between the stems, a spring adapted to be wound taut by the turning of the cam, means for automatically releasing the cam and spring wound thereby at the end of the piston travel from the inlet to the exhaust port to move the stems and wing pistons carried thereby diametrically'so thatthe piston approaching the exhaust port in contact with the inner periphery of the casing is moved into a flush position with the rotor and the diametrically opposite piston into contact with the inner periphery of the casing.

3. In a rotary engine, an outer cylindrical casing having closely adjacent peripheral inlet and exhaust ports, a rotor mounted within the casing concentrically therewith and spaced therefrom at its periphery, a filling piece fitting such interspace between the exhaust'andinlet ports, a shaft secured centrally to the rotor and extending through the casing, wing pistons mounted in the rotor to move diametrically a stem extending inwardly from each piston, a cam member, a spring adapted to be wound taut by the turning of the cam, spring pressed locking pins carried by the rotor to engage the cam member to revolve in unison with the rotor, a stationary cam provided with a cam projection adapted to engage the engaging end of the pin to force it out of engagement with the cam to release the same whereby the stems and wing pistons are carried thereby diametrically so that the piston approaching the exhaust port in con tact with the inner periphery of the casing is moved into a flush position with the rotor and the diametrically opposite piston into contact'with the inner periphery of the casing.

4. In a rotary engine, an outer cylindrical casing having closely adjacent peripheral inlet and exhaust ports between which the radial distance between the centre of the casing port, means for releasing such engaging means as the piston approaches the exhaust port, and means operated by the turning of the cam for moving the Wing pistons diametrically to carry one of such piston ends from an engaging position with the interior periphery of the casing to a flush position With the exterior periphery of the rotor and the other piston from a position flush with the periphery of the rotor into engagement with the inner periphery of the casing.

MILTON HENRY MILLER. 

